Where I Belong
by immola
Summary: Hook, Emma and the Charmings arrive home safely with Henry. Hook decides maybe it's time to tell Emma about his feelings, but something - or someone - gets in the way. OneShot. COMPLETE


**My first attempt to write something Captain Swan.**

**Hook, Emma and the Charmings arrive home safely with Henry. Hook decides maybe it's time to tell Emma about his feelings, but something - or someone - gets in the way.**

"Go on, kid", Emma said, putting one hand on Henry's shoulder. "You mother's been worried sick." She caught herself smiling and fighting back tears. He was safe. He was safe and he was home and no one could ever harm him again.

Henry looked back at her. They just got off the Jolly Roger after a long, but successful journey. It's been a rough month for Emma, but they finally found him at that was the only thing that mattered. She really couldn't stop smiling. Seeing him not wanting to leave her made her kneel again and close him into her arms. She could never get enough of that, holding Henry and knowing everything was okay.

But he had another mom.

The moment Emma saw Regina made her want to cry a bit more. It was like all her love for Henry got doubled, if that was possible. She could feel Regina's caring, her anxiousness in her bones. She let go of Henry and repeated, "Go."

And for the very first time she wasn't jealous when he ran towards the other woman and jumped into her arms. They were all one big family after all. Finally.

She wiped her face, then heard her mother sigh behind her.

"We did it", Snow whispered in partial disbelief, "we actually did it."

And just when Emma thought she was done crying for that day, her parents embraced her from the sides and she found herself in the arms of two people she never believed she will find.

"What a crazy day", she murmured. First, everyone was safe. Second, they found Henry. And of course, she also succeeded casting a spell that made a gate between worlds – the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. She got to stay in her own world, and still managed to be part of the other one – the one everyone said she belongs to.

"I'll go find Red", Emma heard Snow saying. "And Belle, and Lancelot I guess…"

"We should just throw a reunion party", Emma answered, letting them both go. "Granny's?"

"Sure", her father said. "Come on then."

Her parents held hands, they were waiting for her. She looked behind to see Hook, standing as if he doesn't belong there, pretending not to listen.

"I'll be there in a minute", she said. She saw Charming's intern to argue, but Snow started to draw him away. "Of course", she said, giving Emma a look. "We'll meet you there."

And they walked away just to join the crowd at the end of the docks. No one was really paying attention to the two of them standing there in the dark.

"You were right."

Hook stepped away from his ship, getting closer to her, stopping at nearly one foot far.

"About what?" She asked, looking up. He kept glancing away, not being able to look her in the eye, and she felt like, that for the very first time, he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure about anything.

"About the whole thing with… giving up my vengeance, letting go of the past, all that stuff."

Emma smiled. The past few week's been hard to everyone, not any less for him. And she was the only one who really noticed. She remembered their conversations in the night, when everyone was asleep, how they got each other's back in every fight they had. She remembered the look in his eyes when he told her he was willing to stay on that damned island if that was the price for saving Henry. And she remembered when they could save them both and escape.

Emma took a deep breath. "Well, you could, you know, start over. I mean, we have a lot of empty rooms at Granny's, and it's not like you wouldn't be welcome after –"

"Emma." He finally looked at her and it took her breath away. Everything she ever needed was her family back in safety. And still, everything she ever needed was standing in front of her.

"Emma, there's something I have to tell –"

"Emma!"

_What? No, this is not possible. Not now, just not right now, not like this!_

"Bae?"

So it was, it really was him. She looked up at Hook once again to see his relieved smile, but then his expression changed and he was closing in, turning away, building his walls up one more time. And then she heard Neal's steps behind her and she had to make sure.

"Emma! Oh God, I thought I'd never see you again!"

Her arms made their way towards him, and she hugged him. She was crying one more time. Of course, she missed him like hell. She thought he was gone forever, died alone, and Henry lost his father, Gold lost his son – again.

But he was there. He was alive. He was in her arms.

But it was _wrong_.

"Neal", she said, stepping away. "How did you –"

"Long story", he replied, but he was smiling in a way she hadn't seen him smile in a really long time. Her arms fell to her side. This was what she wanted, right?

But still, there was something really wrong here…

"Neal, don't", she said, when she saw he wanted to close in, Maybe he wanted to kiss her, or just repeat the words he last said to her. It wasn't her though he said he loved – it was young, innocent and free Emma, pre-curse, pre-Henry, and most of all, pre-Hook Emma. And it was _that_ Emma that cried out for her long lost love, someone she didn't love anymore.

It was all just a mess in her head.

"What's wrong, baby?"

Emma bit her lip. "I'm sorry, just… just go and look for Henry, he thinks you're dead."

"What? But I thought –"

"No, Neal, I'm sorry but I don't… Just. Just go find him. Please."

He looked confused. Hurt even. No wonder.

But then his eyes found the pirate behind her, and he finally saw what she was not able to say out loud. He stepped back. "Alright, then."

He was long gone and she still couldn't turn around to face Hook.

"I better go", he said, taking his usual mask on again. There was something in the air hanging between them as he walked towards his ship.

"No. No, wait", Emma said. She didn't exactly know what she was doing but she was damn sure not letting him leave.

"So you're just leaving? Just like that?"

"What am I supposed to do, darling? Watching your big and cheery family reunion? Not my thing, thank you."

And he was already aboard the Jolly Roger. _No, no, no, no, not again._

She followed him. "Family, you say?" she yelled. "Where's your family, then?"

He laughed, but he wasn't playing good enough. She could see behind his mask this time. He was just Killian Jones, trying to pick up the Hook he dropped a very long time ago.

"I don't have one."

"You do", she bit back. "You're just too blind to see it."

She walked closer slowly, her arms crossed, her voice sharp as she went on, "You don't leave the ones who love you, it doesn't work like that."

She only realized what she had just said when he answered "You don't love me", with an emotionless tone.

It was like a blade cutting through her body. Emma wondered how an aching heart could beat so fast. "And what if I do?" she said, stepping closer. Her face was merely inches away from his, her words where quiet whispers. "The world collapses? You were about to tell me something. What is it?"

She felt his urge trying to resist her, but he was failing. "You have Neal", he said, looking down at her lips before looking into her green eyes. "The father of your child. You should be with him."

She took a deep breath and stared back without blinking. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I don't give a damn about what I _should_ do."

And with that, she was just about to turn away and leave, when his arm found its way towards hers, and he pulled her back and his lips were on hers. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers were lost in his hair and she tried to pull him closer, just closer and closer. Her heart was still aching, but it was so much different than before, because it ached for him, for more of him. And she was smiling against his lips because she was exactly where she needed to be.

She let go first, to catch her breath. They were both breathing heavily, it was the only sound she heard in the night.

"See?" she asked, leaning closer one more time, letting their foreheads and noses touch, feeling his beating heart right next to hers. "_This_ is right. I know it is."

"Emma", he said, almost like he was breathing her name in. Like she was the air that kept him alive.

"What did you want to tell me?

His arms were tighter around her. "That I love you. I love you and I need you. But you have to go."

"I'm not going anywhere", she said, shaking her head, trying to catch her breath after what he just told her. "I don't care what you say, I'm staying right here, in your arms, where I belong."

He closed her eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because if I'm not willing to fight for what I want, then –"

"You deserve what you get."

"What?" she glanced up at him.

He made a smile, an honest, happy, truthful smile. "That's a thing I used to say."

Emma couldn't but kiss him again, and this time it was promises and happiness, not just trying to say goodbye.

"If you're not coming to that damn party with me", she whispered, "I'll tie you up and drag you there myself."

"Would like to see you try, my love", he said, placing a gentle kiss on her upper lip, "but I think I might join you. Just in case there's a cake."


End file.
